Continuous miner having pivotal flaps between gear and conveyor trough



Se t. 5, 1967 J. KARLOVSKY, JR, ETAL 3,339,982 CONTINUOUS MINER HAVING PIVOTAL FLAPS BETWEEN GEAR AND CONVEYOR THOUGH Original Filed July 15, 1964 3 Sheets-Sheet Iv Sept. 5, 1967 J. K-ARLOVSKY, JR. ETAL CONTINUOUS MINER HAVING PIVOTAL FLAPS BETWEEN Y GEAR AND CONVEYOR TROUGH Original Filed July 13, 1964 5 Sheets-Sheet :3

Sept 1967 J. KARLOVSKY, JR. ETAL 3,339,982

CONTINUOUS MINER HAVING PIVOTAL FLAPS BETWEEN GEAR AND CONVEYOR THOUGH Original Filed July 13, 1964 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 v v 1 I 47 1 r\ l\ 45/ I Moi/3K, F755! fihss Second R455 1 j? FIG v United States Patent CONTINUOUS MINER HAVING PIVOTAL FLAPS BETWEEN GEAR AND CONVEYOR TROUGH Jerry Karlovsky, Jr., Clifford C. Conway, and John M. Cookson, Nashville, 11]., assiguors to National Mine Service Company, Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of West Virginia Original application July 13, 1964, Ser. No. 382,065, now Patent No. 3,309,143, dated Mar. 14, 1967. Divided and this application Feb. 8, 1967, Ser. No. 614,652

Claims. (Cl. 299-57) This application is a division of copending application Ser. No. 382,065, filed July 13, 1964, and now Patent No. 3,309,143. The invention relates to a continuous mining machine of the McKinlay type which includes parallel boring shafts spaced transversely of the machine and having radial arms carrying rotating cutters at their forward ends and having a trimmer cutting chain moving along vertically spaced guides, extending transversely of the machine, to trim the cusps left between the bores produced by the rotating cutters. The invention comprises structure particularly adapting such a machine for cutting or boring into a seam of coal, ore or other material inclined from the horizontal transversely of the direction of travel of the machine.

The main object of the invention is to maintain the floor of the bore and the machine traction means substantially horizontal, while inclining the roof of the bore, transversely of the path of the machine. This is advantageous particularly in establishing the roof of the cut along or parallel to the top of a steeply pitching seam.

This general object is attained by adjusting the radial cutter arms of the two boring shafts to cut to different diameters, respectively; adjusting ends of the cutter chain guide or trimmer bars until they are substantially tangent to the peripheries of the cuts made by the rotating cutters; then tilting the gear case or other support for the boring bars transversely of the machine until the lower peripheries of the rotating cutters are at approximately the same level and the lower bar is horizontal. This positions the upper trimmer bar at a steeper angle to the horizontal than is possible with earlier machines, and enables the machine to operate effectively in substantially inclined or pitching seams. To further cooperate with the tilted gear case and horizontal lower trimmer bar, the conveyor which leads rearwardly and upwardly from the lower trimmer bar is pivotally mounted on the lower trimmer bar so as to incline to the bar transversely of the machine and as determined by its rear supports on the tilted gear case.

In the accompanying drawings illustrating a selected embodiment of the invention:

, FIGURE 1 is a side view of a continuous miner embodying the invention and showing in vertical longitudinal section a bore cut by the machine into a mine seam.

- FIGURE 2 is a front view of the machine showing its telescoping cutter arms extended and showing in vertical transverse section the bore in the mine seam.

FIGURE 3 is a vertical transverse section on line 3-3 of FIGURE 1 with some parts removed to better illustrate the construction.

FIGURE 4 is a longitudinal view of the machine conveyor trough showing the mounting of its rear end On the main frame and the mounting of its forward end on the lower trimmer bar.

FIGURE 5 is a detail front view of the mounting of the conveyor trough on the lower trimmer bar.

FIGURES 6, 7 and 8 are largely diagrammatical and show the front of the machine with its cutter arms in "Ice successive positions assumed when adapting the machine for boring into an inclined or pitching seam.

The main parts of the machine, common to machines of this general type, are a pair of endless treads 11 running over wheels or on shoes (not shown) supporting a main frame 13. Brackets on frame 13 carry front and rear upright hydraulic cylinder and piston units 17 and 19 at each side of the machine and these units support a gear case 21 at four points. The cylinder pistons at one side of the frame are operable independently of those at the opposite side of the frame.

Journaled in gear case 21 are boring shafts 23, 24 extending lengthwise of the machine and spaced apart transversely of the machine, each mounting a plurality of telescoping radial arms 26, 27 respectively carrying individual cutters 28. As the machine moves forwardly, shafts 23, 24 and their cutter arms are rotated and generally cylindrical bores B are cut into the face of the mine seam S, the bores intersecting as seen in FIG- URE 2, leaving triangular cusps C at top and bottom of the bore.

At the rear of radial arms 26, 27, upright hydraulic cylinders 32, 33, spaced apart transversely of the machine, are mounted on the upper portion of gear case 21 and their pistons carry the upper trimmer bar 34 provided with a cutter chain guide 34a. Upright hydraulic cylinders 36, 37 are pivoted at their upper ends to cars 22 at the sides of gear case 21 and have pistons extending downwardly and pinned at P to the upstanding ends 38 of the lower trimmer bar 40 extending from side to side of the machine and provided with a cutter chain guide 40a for an endless cutter chain 41 driven by a sprocket 42, journaled on gear case 21, and passed over idler sprockets 44, 45, journaled on opposite end portions of upper trimmer bar 34, and over sprockets 47, 48, journaled on opposite end portions of lower trimmer bar 40, and over sprockets 49, journaled on gear case 21. Each sprocket 50 has a hydraulically operated mounting 51 (FIGURE 1) maintaining the cutting chain properly tensed. The trimmer bar mountings for sprockets 47, 48 include extensions 52 (FIGURE 3) slidable in the trimmer bar by cylinder and piston units 53, described in detail in an application filed July 3, 1964, Ser. No. 380,157, and now Patent No. 3,278,237.

The connection between each end of the upper trimmer bar and the corresponding supporting piston comprises a pin 55 (FIGURE 3) flattened top and bottom and slidable in a horizontal slot 56 in the trimmer bar. The play of pins 55 in slots 56 automatically accommodates elongation of the distance between sprockets 44, 45 when the trimmer bar is angled when the pistons of cylinders 32, 33 are moved differently. Gear case 21 has a pair of depending jaws 25 near each end and the upstanding ends 38 of the lower trimmer bar slide over these jaws. A pivot pin 58 is fixed in the left hand end 38 of trimmer bar 40 and slides vertically in the slot between the left hand jaws 25 on the gear case. Below pin 58 is a pin 60 similarly slidable in the slot between jaws 25 and also slidable in a horizontal slot 61 in the same end of the trimmer bar. Vertically spaced pins 59 and 62 at the opposite end of the trimmer bar are slidable in the slot between jaws 25 and are slidable in vertically spaced horizontal slots 63 and 64 in the trimmer bar end. This provides for pivotal connection between the lower trimmer bar and the gear case and accommodating elongation of the distance between pins 60, 64 when the pistons of cylinders 36, 37 are moved differently, and also accommodating tilting of the gear case when its cylinder-piston supports 17, 19 at opposite sides of the machine are moved differently.

The machine includes a chain conveyor with arms 71 operable in a trough 72 extending rearwardly and upwardly (FIGURE 4) from lower trimmer bar 40 with its rear end supported on a hinge pin 74 extending across the upper rear end of the chute and seated in the forward end of an upper chute 76. A rear lug 77 at the center of bar 40 has an upwardly facing groove 78, elongated lengthwise of the bar, the bottom 79 of the groove being arched upwardly from end to end. The forward end of the conveyor trough includes a hitchbar 81 with depending lug 82 received in groove 78 and resting on the bottom of the latter so that during tilting of the trimmer bar the conveyor trough may rock in the groove. Lock bars 83 are welded to the trimmer bar and project over the transverse end member of the conveyor trough and limit its rocking movement, or its dislodgement from the trimmer bar groove because of the rocking movement.

Clearance is provided between gear case 21 and the upper edges of the sides of conveyor trough 72 to accommodate their relative movement, and to close the gap resulting from this clearance, flap valves 85 (FIGURE 3) are pivoted to the gear case at 86 and springs 87 yieldingly swing the valves into contact with the sides of the trough irrespective of the elevating and lowering of the trimmer bar or of the inclination of the gear case to the trough and of the resulting variation in the vertical distance from the edge of the trough to the bottom of the gear case. With this structure it is not necessary for the operator to make any adjustment of the conveyor trough or mechanism when the gear case and lower trimmer bar are tilted relative to each other. Each of the cylinders and pistons raising, lowering and tilting the gear case and the trimmer bars and projecting and retracting the lower sprockets may be operated independently of the other cylinders, and this makes it possible to adjust the bore and cuts to the extent desired to parallel the top of the seam.

FIGURES 2 and 3 show the pistons of cylinders 32, 33, 36, 37 projected to their maximum extent and thereby raising trimmer bar 34 and lowering trimmer bar 40 to their uppermost and lowermost levels respectively. While this setting may be utilized to cut maximum bore into a seam, particularly a horizontal seam, the present machine is also utilized to adapt the machine for cutting a bore into a pitching seam with the top of the bore inclined to the fioor of the cut which will be horizontal. For this purpose cutter arms 26 on the left hand side of the machine, as viewed in FIGURE 6, may be retracted to near their minimum diameter and the pistons in cylinders 32, 36 may be retracted to bring the left hand ends of trimmer bars 34, 40 substantially tangent to the path of left hand cutters 28 (FIGURE 7). At the same time cutter arms 27 on the right hand side of the machine are extended to a greater diameter and the pistons in cylinders 33, 37 are extended to bring the right hand ends of trimmer bars 34, 40 substantially tangent to the path of the right hand cutters 29. In this position lower trimmer bar 40 is inclined upwardly to the left, at an angle X to the horizontal, and upper trimmer bar 34 is inclined upwardly to the right at substantially the same angle to the horizontal.

The pistons in cylinders 17 and 19 supporting the left hand side of gear case 21 from the machine frame may then be retracted to lower that side of the gear case (FIG- URE 8) and the pistons in cylinders 17 and 19 at the opposite side of the machine may be projected to raise that side of the gear case so that the gear case angle to the horizontal transversely of the machine becomes approximately the angle X mentioned above. Lower bar 40 is then horizontal and upper bar 34 is inclined at twice the angle X mentioned above, as measured from the horizontal, thus doubling the angle of inclination of the upper bar to the horizontal and providing for a greater inclination of the roof out than could be obtained by the usual adjustment of the upper :bar only. It is to be understood that each of the cylinders are separately actuated by hydraulic valves controlled by the operator.

After a pass has been made with the cutter bars and arms and gear case adjusted, as shown at the left hand side of FIGURE 8, the machine may be withdrawn, the left hand cutter arms 26 extended to the diameter of the right hand cutter arms 27 during the first pass, and the right hand cutter arms 27 and their cutters 29 extended to the maximum, the cutter bars raised and lowered without changing their angular relation, to bring them substantially tangent to the new paths of the cutters, the machine shifted to the right, and a second pass made as indicated in FIGURE 8. This will provide a substantially continuous inclined upper surface of the bore corresponding to the inclination of the seam.

It will be understood that the cutter arms and trimmer bars may be reversely inclined to make successive bores for a seam inclined in the opposite direction fromright to left. Also, if desired, the machine may be reversed end for end after the first operation and the rotors and trimmer bars adjusted to make a pass in the opposite direction but with the cutter bars inclined in reversed directions to slope the roof of the cut corresponding to the inclination of the first pass.

The details of the structure may be varied without departing from the spirit of the invention and the exclusive use of modifications within the scope of the claims is contemplated.

We claim:

1. In a continuous mining machine including a gear case having shafts journaled thereon,

radially adjustable cutter arms on said shafts,

a conveyor trough below said gear case extending from the lowermost level of said cutter arms rearwardly and upwardly beneath said gear case,

said conveyor trough and gear case being movable vertically relative to each other so that in certain positions of said conveyor tnough relative to said gear case a gap is formed between the sides of said conveyor trough and said gear case, and

closure means pivotally secured to said gear case and operable to close said gap between said gear case and said side wall.

2. In a continuous mining machine as set forth in claim 1 in which said closure means includes,

a flap valve pivotally secured to said gear case and depending therefrom, and

yielding means urging said flap valve against the side of said trough to close the gap between the gear case and the side of the trough.

3. In a continuous mining machine as set forth in claim 1 in which said closure means includes,

a flap valve on each side of said conveyor comprising a flat plate pivotally secured at its upper end to the lower portion of the gear case and depending therefrom, and

resilient means abutting said respective plates and urging said plates against the sides of said conveyor trough.

4. In a continuous mining machine as set forth in claim 3 in which said resilient means includes,

a pair of springs each supported at one end by said gear case and extending toward said fiat plates,

said spring other end portions each abutting said respective flat plates and urging said plates against the sides of said conveyor trough.

5. In a continuous mining machine as set forth in claim 1 which includes,

a lower trimmer bar movable vertically relative to said gear case,

a chute connected to said gear case and movable therewith,

said conveyor trough having a bottom wall and upwardly extending side walls,

said conveyor trough rear end portion hingedly connected to the front end portion of said chute and said conveyor trough front end portion connected to said lower trimmer bar for movement therewith, and

closure means to close the gap between the side Walls said spring other end portions each abutting said reof said conveyor trough and said chute when said spective flat plate and urging said flat plates against trimmer bar moves vertically relative to said gear case the sides of said conveyor trough. comprising,

a pair of flat plates positioned adjacent the side walls 5 References Cited g f y r o r g dt t UNITED STATES PATENTS sai p a es eac pivo a y secure 0 sai gear case a 2,740,618 4/1956 Snyder et aL 299 57 3 end and dependmg dwnwardly there 2,957,686 10/1960 Lundquist 299-57 a pair of springs each supported at one end by said 1 ERNESTR PURSER Primary Examiner gear case and extending toward said flat plates, 

1. IN A CONTINUOUS MINING MACHINE INCLUDING A GEAR CASE HAVING SHAFTS JOURNALED THEREON, RADIALLY ADJUSTABLE CUTTER ARMS ON SAID SHAFTS, A CONVEYOR TROUGH BELOW SAID GEAR CASE EXTENDING FROM THE LOWERMOST LEVEL OF SAID CUTTER ARMS REARWARDLY AND UPWARDLY BENEATH SAID GEAR CASE, SAID CONVEYOR TROUGH AND GEAR CASE BEING MOVABLE VERTICALLY RELATIVE TO EACH OTHER SO THAT IN CERTAIN POSITIONS OF SAID CONVEYOR TROUGH RELATIVE TO SAID GEAR CASE A GAP IS FORMED BETWEEN THE SIDES OF SAID CONVEYOR TROUGH AND SAID GEAR CASE, AND CLOSURE MEANS PIVOTALLY SECURED TO SAID GEAR CASE AND OPERABLE TO CLOSE SAID GAP BETWEEN SAID GEAR CASE AND SAID SIDE WALL. 